Shelving construction



NOV. 25. 1941. c so I 2,263,837

SHELVING CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. .26, 1939 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 25, 1941 i UNITED STATES PATENT OEFlCE 2.263.837 11 SHELVING CONSTRUCTION.-

Ernest R. Erickson, Des Moines, Iowa, assignor to C. E. Erickson, Company, Incorporated, Des v Moines, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application December 26, 1939, Serial No; 310,997: 3 Claims. (01. 21 1 14s) My invention involves a construction for the convenient assembly of standardized elements into shelving suitable for storage or display purposes.

An object of my invention is to provide a construction such that the component elements can be cheaply and conveniently packed and shipped in dissassembled condition.

Another object is to provide a construction whereby the various elements can be easily and simply assembled at the point of use Without tools or other auxiliary apparatus.

Another object is to provide a construction wherein the separate shelvesin a shelving assembly can'be located at various vertical heights as, convenience or choice may dictate.

Another object is to provide a construction wherein additional sections can be added with a minimum of inconvenience and expense.

A further object is to provide a construction;

which is clean-cut and attractive in appearance so that it can be used for effective point-of-sale display of merchandise.

Another object is to provide a construction, the members of which can be easily and economically manufactured.

With these and other objects in view, my in vention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are at tained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective View of a section of shelving embodying the construction which I have devised. One complete section is shown in the figure and broken portions of a second section are shown attached to the right hand end of the first section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in vertical section, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in horizontal section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral IE to indicate generally a support member, which is preferably formed from sheet metal in the shape of a channel having a web l2 and flanges id, as seen in the cross sectional view of Figure 3. This channel may be formed longitudinally in any desired manner. I have shown it as made with a straight rear portion IB and a front portion l8 having an offsizes of shelves. At the top; the portions 16 and I8 are connected by a vertical portion 22. If'de' sired, the portions [6, l8 and 22 may be made up from a single piece of channel, formed in a man:

, ner well understood in the art, or they may be made separately, and fastened together in any suitable way. At the bottom,'members -16 and l8 are spaced and'strengthened by a stretcher the form of verticallyelongated slots. 7

' I provide shelves28 formed of sheet metal or any other suitable material and many desiredshape. In the drawing I have shown the shelves 28 as having an up-tur'ned rear wall 30 and a downturned front/wall 32. These walls constitutefianges along the front and back edges ofthe shelf-adding materially to the strengthof' it.;-'-Tl 1e rear wall 30 may be provided with a rolled or-folded edge 33. End walls- 34 maybe provided if desired. At the ends of the rear wall 30 I provide projecting hook-like portions 36 and notches 38. The portions 36 are adapted topass through the perforations 26 in the support members l'fi and it. After the portions 35 are passed through theperforationpthe shelf 28 ispressed' downwardly to cause the notches 38 to engage the flanges I4. I preferably form the notches 38 at a slight angle from the vertical, with the top of the notch inward as will be seen in Figure 2, in order to cause a wedging effect whereby the shelf 28 is held tightly against the channel. memher 0.

A similar hook and slot engagement is provided between the front wall 32 of the shelf 28 and the front support member IS. A portion of the right hand member l8 has been broken away in Figure 1 to show this construction.

When several shelves are assembled with the support members in the manner contemplated in my invention, great rigidity is obtained by reason of the wedging action in the inclined-notches 38 against the flanges It. Any load applied on the shelves tends to tighten the fit thus obtained and to increase the rigidity of the structure.

As will be seen, particularly in Figure 1, a series of the perforations 26 is provided vertically spaced along the support members I6 and I8. This permits a given shelf 28 to be mounted at practically any height, as may be. desired for set 20 which permits the accommodation of two most attractive appearance of the assembled structure or for the most efiicient storage or disposition of goods upon the shelves. Any required number of shelves can be incorporated at the time of assembly.

By the use of a support member having an off-set, as at 20, shelves of several front-to-back depths can be accommodated. where by structure is used for displaypurposes. as. in. a grocery store, this arrangement allowsgfor the;fact that visibility of the goods on the bottom shelf is poor, unless this shelf is wider. Furthermore,. the increased width of the structure at the bot tom obviously gives greater stability.;- v

By reason of the fact that perforations v16 are provided in both flanges l4iof theoliannfiLk thIe;15.

having frontiand-rear elements, shelf members shelving assembly can be extended from,,either,: side by the use of additional shelf members, such as 28. In Figure 1 the righthand portionof the: figure shows broken parts of such shelves. A

single support member ID thus forms a common support :ior two sections .of :shelving: and a; very. economical arrangement is 5661118013.

The shelves 281' may be made up: irrvarious: widths; and; obviously adjacent, tiers: ofi: shelves, as; assembled needilnotvberof;theasame width-.1 Tiers ,of several, widths may be used in:- one-shelvingcinstallation :i-f necessary in; V order- 130: come out; even-i for; example; when, it is: desired; to 'have theslrelving-filla given-"Wall spaceior a; given horizontal .distancei It "will bgapparent that inmaking shipment of;; ,the elements of my construction in-disassema-- bled condition; thesupports Ill-can be stacked: or bundledz-insmall s1: ;ace;- and likewise the shelves such as 28--can=bestackedvin-relatively small: space. Hence; a shelvingassembly-whichoccupies-a; very considerable amount vofv space-when, setum; can be: packed; shipped or stored :in a space-,whichis relatively muchv smaller.

Some changes maybemade in the-construction and arrangement. of the ipartsofimy; device-'with-- out departing. from the-real spirit: and-purpose of mitinyention, and.;it is my intention; to--cover= by my claims any modified forms of =structure or usegofamechanical. equivalents, which may be reasonably .included'withintheir scope;

I claim 1 as my -invention-z:

1s Inadisplay structure, supporting; members haying front and rear elements, shelfmembers, having an upstanding back. flange, a,de1; ending-v frontflange-and; aweb element spanning. the. di s-.

tance between the lower edge of said back flange and the upper edge of said front flange, and means for detachably attaching said shelf members to said supporting members comprising downwardly extending hooked lugs formed as integral extensions of the ends of said flanges, said supporting members having a series of vertically spaced and vertically elongated openings to receiveisaidlugs with the lugs of said front flange below said web element and the lugs of said back flange above said web element, said lugs having surfaces adjacent the ends of said flanges which are inclined: downwardly and away from said ends.

'2. Ina. display structure, supporting members having an upstanding back flange, a depending front-flange. and'ia web element spanning the distance. between the lower edge of said back flange and the upper edge of said front flange, and meanssfor; detachably attaching said shelf members to said supporting members comprising" downwardly extending hooked lugs formedas extensions of the ends of said flanges, some. of saidlugs beinglocated at a higher elevation than said ,web element and some of said lugs being located ata lower elevation than said webeleof; vertically spaced and vertically elongated openings to. receive. said lugs, saidlugs having surfaces adjacent the ends of said flanges which.

are inclined downwardly and away from said ends, said. shelf elements having upstanding flanges at, theends thereof to. span the distance between the front and rear elements. ofsaid frame members.

3; Adisplay structure including a shelf, member-having a web element with an upstanding flang along oneedge. thereof and a depending, flange. along. the. opposite edge thereof, supporting membersand. means for detachably attaching saidshelf member to said supporting members comprising downwardly opening hooked lugs formed at .theends of said flanges, said supportingmembers having-openings toreceive said. lugs with the lugs of said upstanding flange above the line of connectionof said upstanding flange withsaid web element,the lugs of said depending flange belo'wth' line of connection of said depending flange with said web element.

ERNESTR. ERICKSON. 

